Wednesday, September 01, 2004

Glenn Reynolds on media bias

The Wall Street Journal published an op-ed by Glenn Reynolds the "proprietor" of Instapundit and a credentialed blogger at the Republican National Convention. Reynolds points out the impact that bloggers are having on this national election, the failure of the big media to report the biggest story of the year and why blogging is succeeding in changing the rules of the media game.

Buried near the end of his piece is an astute observation about Kerry:

As blogger Ed Driscoll noted, the Kerry media strategy was geared to the media environment of 1972, where the refusal to carry the story of a few big outlets chummy with the campaign would have been enough to keep things quiet. That didn't work, as the new media were enough to neutralize the media advantage that Kerry's strategy was built around.

What struck me when I read this was my own memory of the number of stories I've read about Kerry playing his home movies of Vietnam over and over again, pointing out bullet holes in the boat, reliving scenes of self-constructed glory. Kerry really does seem to be stuck in Vietnam, stuck in a time long past, unable to extricate himself and move on.

Could this be the real story of this election? That Kerry's obsession with Vietnam was the Achilles heel that destroyed his campaign, just when his lifelong ambition was on the cusp of realization?

About Me

I publish this blog because I want to and I can afford to. I am not affiliated with any political organization nor have I ever been. I joined the Libertarian Party once, but never renewed my dues.
I'm interested in truth and honesty in the media, and that is what I write about.
I blog anonymously because I think my writing should stand on its own, and my true identity is irrelevant. It is the ideas that matter, not the person.